Comfort
by ScottXLoganNetwork
Summary: Logan tries to soothe the pain Scott's in after the day doesn't go as planned. (Written as a one shot challenge request)


"Trick or treat," the voices sounded through the school as Logan looked down the corridor realizing that this was the one time of year that the students at the school didn't have to hide behind the fear of the outside world. They were free to be themselves and go about their business in ways that most of the world hadn't been able to accept and recognize before this point in time. Shaking his head he watched as an array of students rushed down the stairs eager to get out and enjoy the joys and thrills the night had to offer.

"Trick or treat Logan," he heard Ororo's voice speak up as he turned around to see her holding an oversized bowl of candy in her arms.

"I'll take a beer," he mouthed gruffly before looking down to the candy she carried with her.

"Right now you'll take this," she decided sliding the bowl into his arms and right into the center of his chest, "because I have a group of students to check in on."

"Wonderful," he muttered to himself preparing to work out an exit strategy in his head when he turned his attention to her once again, "Hey 'Ro, where's Cyke? Shouldn't he be out here doing all of this?"

"Scott's still in his room," she explained with worry creasing her brow. She took in an uneasy breath before turning her attention to the children in the corridor once again, "Charles suggested we just leave him be given that…"

"When do I ever leave something be?" Logan questioned following her down the hallway before depositing the bowl of candy near the front door, "I believe I've found a new purpose tonight."

"Logan," she frowned back at him, "you know how hard it's been to adjust for him after he lost Jean…"

"We've coddled him long enough 'Ro," Logan scowled before reaching into the bowl of candy to pull out a piece of candy in spite of himself. He peeled the wrapper off of the chocolate before depositing it into his mouth, "We all miss Jeanie, but this isn't right. We can't just sit back and allow Cyke to ignore the world around him. He has a responsibility to the children…"

"He knows that and he'll return to it soon enough, but for now Charles just thinks that…" she attempted to reason with Logan.

"Chuck means well, but my methods are more effective," he promised with a cryptic grin. He shifted on his heel to return to the path he'd stepped out on earlier in the evening, "Have fun with the candy."

"Logan!" she called out after him, but her words were lost when he made his way up the stairs to see just what was keeping Scott from his duties. Yes, Logan knew Scott was miserable, could even sense that he'd been needing the alone time to grieve, but after not being able to see Scott's face, Logan found himself increasingly on edge. There were still so many things left unsaid between them, things that none of the others knew about, yet in walking up the staircase Logan realized that he hadn't been met by the familiar scent that always enticed him when Scott was around. Instead it was more of a lingering whiff of despair and misery, which was the new aroma Scott had carried with him after losing Jean. That in itself dismayed Logan when he walked across the hallway past Scott's room to head down the back staircase. He wasn't quite sure where he was headed, but he kept following the scent, kept chasing after the one thing that had been on his mind more often than not since Jean's passing.

"Scott," he mouthed to himself remembering the way that Scott had fallen to pieces on the jet after Jean had sacrificed herself. Months had passed since that fateful day, yet Scott haven't ever truly recovered. He'd experienced a few moments here and there, but most of the time he walked around in a haze, lost in his despair.

"Just leave me alone Logan!" Scott had ordered when they'd run into one another in the Danger Room about a month earlier.

Logan had refused his request instead reaching out to take Scott by the arm and pull him in closer. For a moment it seemed to infuriate Scott, but eventually he grudgingly gave in losing himself to the impromptu embrace. After that things were awkward, a bit unconventional between them even. However, what had happened had stayed between them after they'd decided to simply keep the feelings they couldn't understand just yet to themselves. However, in seeing Scott still lost inside of himself unable to return to the thing that Logan knew he loved, Logan vowed to find a way to pull Scott out of the nightmare he'd immersed himself in.

Moving to the back door of the school Logan could smell Scott's scent in the air, surrounding him with a warmth and familiarity as Logan pushed his way out into the gardens. The moonlight overhead illuminated the lush greenery, drawing emphasis to the think, dense shrubs and flowers that had surrounded Logan. The night cloaked the enchantment the garden had to offer during the day, but the sight of it around him sent him back to a time long ago when he'd been surrounded by the simple pleasures the world had to offer long before his days of X-Men. Taking in a breath he allowed the faint aroma of the night to surround him, to sweep over his senses, but in the mix there was nothing more intoxicating than the scent of the man he'd been seeking out. Turning his eyes in the direction of the scent, Logan found himself gazing upon the man who had haunted his dreams in both his sleep and the waking hours.

"Scott," Logan mouthed to himself watching as Scott was seated upon the bench within the gazebo at the edge of the gardens. There in the moonlight he seemed lost inside of himself, wrapped up in his contemplations as Logan moved in closer to him. There was a breeze in the air, a faint chill that carried through the night in causing Scott's short, wavy, brown hair to move listlessly around him. His skin looked paler than usual in the moonlight, drawing emphasis to his sharp, distinct cheekbones. His lips were pursed together in the beginnings of a tight scowl from what Logan could decipher from the profile shot he'd been given of the man before him. For a moment Logan watched Scott clench his teeth bringing them together in a tightness that carried over his jaw when Logan moved forward to join him, "Please don't tell me that you're out here to take a stand against tooth decay during the holiday considering that…"

"Not now Logan," Scott started with a small sigh when he brought one hand up to touch the side of his face. His shoulders were hunched over tight and pushed close together when Logan stepped in beside the bench.

"What's going on?" Logan questioned softening his voice. He pushed all joking aside as he reached out to touch Scott's shoulder, "Everyone's looking for you Slim."

"I'm sorry about that, but right now I just needed some air. I know that I said I'd be prepared to go out, but I can't…" Scott stopped himself as he lowered his head and sighed, "I'm not going to be able to take the children out tonight. I thought I would, but…"

"But what?" Logan squeezed his fingers into Scott's shoulder watching as Scott winced beneath his touch.

"I just can't," Scott exhaled slowly, his jaw set tight again when Logan moved in beside him.

"Is this because you're upset or…?" Logan searched Scott's features once again.

"It's just been a long day," Scott sighed tipping his head to the side and glancing over at Logan once again, "I was up to my eyeballs in grading papers and…"

"That would do me in as well," Logan paused when he noticed the line of tension carrying over Scott's jaw line, "Do you have another headache?"

"When don't I?" Scott attempted to make light of the conversation before turning his head away.

"They're getting worse again, aren't they?" Logan inquired softening his tone when he reached out to touch the side of Scott's face.

"No more than usual," Scott shrugged his shoulders, "It's just that tonight…"

"You said this morning that you felt terrible," Logan replied bringing his hand out over Scott's back. He smoothed his fingers over Scott's shoulders attempting to lighten the tension inside of him, "Why did you even bother to get up?"

"A part of me realized that it was all too easy to get into the habit of staying in bed," Scott divulged quietly. A somber expression carried over his face when Logan remained at his side, "When Jean died it took everything in me to find a reason to pull myself out of bed each morning. Time and time again I didn't think it was going to happen. I had a million excuses and…"

"I saw the way you were feeling this morning. I know it's not an excuse," Logan offered up when Scott let out an ironic laugh.

"It's the first time in a long time it wasn't," Scott paused contemplating his thoughts, "I guess I just didn't want to let everyone down. I know we had plans tonight, but…"

"Plans change, but as far as I'm concerned you should've stayed in bed Slim," Logan repeated with heavy disapproval in his voice, "I saw the kind of pain you were in when you woke up after that dream and…"

"I couldn't ignore my responsibilities Logan," Scott admitted with a shake of his head, "I know I made promises and…"

"No one is going to hold it against you if you have to take time for yourself Scott," Logan reminded him pointedly, "You are entitled to do that you know."

"It's easy to forget that sometimes, but tonight that's not the point. I wanted to get out of bed, to find a reason to keep pushing on tonight because it's Halloween and I owe it to the children to make it special for them. I told myself if I could just get some fresh air that maybe everything would be alright. I just hoped that…" Scott stopped himself and sighed, "I guess I messed up with this one as well, didn't I?"

"Nah," Logan waved his hand dismissively before bringing his arm around Scott's shoulders, "the way I see it 'Ro's got it covered. She's got them all lined up to go out there and raise some hell."

"Is she alone?" Scott questioned grudgingly leaning into Logan's embrace. His head fell in against Logan's chest as Logan's arm surrounded him more completely.

"Nah, you know Pete's with her," Logan whispered sliding in closer to Scott on the bench. He reached out to touch Scott's cheek as the breeze picked up around them, "which means she'll have it covered. He's not going to let anything happen to them."

"That's reassuring," Scott seemed to relax in the realization that everything was in order for the children. The tension in his neck seemed to ease up a bit when he lay his head on Logan's shoulder more completely, "Did she know you were coming out here?"

"I told her that I was coming to give you hell," Logan explained with a wide grin, "but now, well maybe we can find something else to distract you for a while."

"Logan," Scott's face grew a pale crimson shade underneath the moonlight when Logan's fingers curled in underneath Scott's chin to coax him to look up at Logan. His lush lips parted preparing to issue some form of protest that Logan was certain Scott wouldn't really mean when Logan leaned in closer to him. He slid his fingers into Scott's thick, dark hair before twisting himself to lean in closer to him.

"Shh…" Logan whispered moving in to press his lips against Scott's welcoming mouth in a tender hint of a kiss. When the wind picked up around them, he felt Scott arch up further into the embrace, lips parting to invite Logan inside when Scott's hand fell upon Logan's thigh simply taking the time to enjoy the moment for all it was worth. However, before Logan could give in to temptation and pull Scott up off of the bench and into his lap he felt Scott recoil from the kiss with a tiny wince.

"I'm sorry," Scott spoke up apologetically, "It's just that my head…"

"Have you spoken to Charles about the headaches?" Logan questioned worriedly. He squeezed at Scott's thigh only to feel Scott's fingers interlace with his.

"I've had them for years Logan," Scott explained in a quiet voice, "They're something I've gotten used to considering that migraines are a part of my daily activities. Most of the time I can ignore it, but the pain tonight is just so overwhelming that…"

"It's because you're out here," Logan looked to the moon overhead, "when really you should be in bed. I told you this morning that…"

"If I would've stayed in your bed all day after Ororo caught us sneaking into the bedroom last night, then people would be bound to talk Logan," Scott sighed when his brow creased with tension.

"They're already talking Slim," Logan tipped his head to the side as his lips curved downward in the beginnings of a frown, "We're not fooling anyone, you know?"

"Yeah," Scott conceded turning his attention to the moonlight overhead, "I just…I guess I'm just not ready to start dodging questions about us especially when you and I aren't even really sure what we're doing. It's just sort of…"

"Unexpected," Logan finished for him.

"Exactly," Scott agreed when another long sigh spilled over his lips.

"The best things in life always are," Logan decided squeezing at Scott's fingers before a worried expression carried over him, "We should get you inside to rest."

"Logan, I already told you that I'm not really in the mood to rest considering that I have to…" Scott opened his mouth to protest when Logan stood up.

"I'll go talk to 'Ro, but after that we're going to get you up to bed," Logan announced decidedly.

"Logan, as much as I'm sure I'd enjoy that right now…" Scott began when his face grew an even deeper shade of crimson.

"To rest," Logan clarified, "Let's get you up to my room and then I'll go talk to 'Ro?"

"Alright," Scott finally agreed sliding up off of the bench and following Logan back into the school for an attempt at resting.

Logan had walked Scott upstairs, surprised at how Scott hadn't bothered to put up a fight on the matter. Instead he'd simply gone to Logan's room, allowed Logan to tuck him into bed and promised to be waiting for Logan there when he'd returned again after talking to Storm.

Twenty minutes later Logan returned to his room only to discover Scott shivering beneath the blanket he had wrapped around him. A frown carried over Logan's lips when he moved to his side of the bed, discarding his shirt before reaching for the blanket that surrounded Scott. Saying nothing he eased into bed bringing his arm around Scott's waist.

"Did you tell her how sorry I was?" Scott questioned with a small sigh when Logan placed a tiny kiss over the back of his neck.

"She's got it covered, but with you," Logan paused sliding his hand over the small of Scott's back. He kneaded his fingers up over Scott's spine, concentrating on the tension that carried over Scott's shoulders, "I think you've got a bit more than a headache going on. You're freezing."

"I'm fine," Scott replied somberly, "It's just when I feel this way everything starts to ache and…"

"That's because you should be resting," Logan reminded him again. He brought his fingers up through Scott's hair, gently massaging his hand over Scott's scalp. The feel of his short, dark bristling hair caused Logan's pulse to quicken, his mind on sensory overload as the scent of Scott intoxicated him in every way imaginable. Squeezing his arm other around Scott's waist, he gently coaxed Scott onto his back only to discover that Scott was still wearing his glasses. With a frown Logan reached for them in an attempt to pull them off of Scott's face.

"Logan," Scott curled his lip in protest while bringing his hand up to prevent Logan from taking them off.

"Part of the reason you're still in so much pain is because you have your eyes open," Logan dismissed Scott's fingers and reached for the glasses once again, "You need to close them so that you can actually get some rest."

"Logan…" Scott frowned before finally releasing Logan's wrist. Instead he simply resigned himself to the moment when Logan slid the frames over the bridge of Scott's nose. He felt Scott shudder beneath him, his body tight with tension and ache brought on by the migraine that had carried over him, yet in thinking about what Logan was advising him to do, Scott simply kept his eyes closed tightly in allowing Logan to remove his glasses.

"That's better," Logan whispered setting Scott's glasses on the table top before reaching out to touch Scott's cheek tenderly, "That should help…"

"Maybe," Scott mouthed behind pale features when Logan ran his index finger over the side of Scott's face, tracing his jaw line. He brushed the pad of his thumb up over Scott's bottom lip, watching as Scott's lips parted. The warmth of Scott's breath carried over him causing Logan to lean forward and deposit a tiny kiss over Scott's mouth once again.

"I know it's not in your vocabulary, but you need to learn to relax," Logan coaxed him on further. His hand pushed into Scott's hair again tenderly massaging his scalp. The sensation caused Scott to sigh, to give himself to another brief kiss when Logan leaned forward. As Logan's hand traced over Scott's cheek, curling around to rub his warm fingers over Scott's neck, he could feel Scott relax against him.

"Better?" Logan questioned rising up to look at Scott's features.

"A little bit," Scott nodded as Logan leaned down to place a tiny kiss over Scott's right eyelid. The brush of Logan's lips caused Scott to tense up momentarily, to hold in the breath that had been lingering upon his lips. Instead of protesting such a gesture as he had in the past, Scott remained motionless giving himself to the caress of Logan's kiss, simply savoring the warmth of Logan's breath upon his skin.

"Good," Logan whispered placing another kiss over Scott's left eyelid before centering in over his cheek, tracing up to his forehead in a tender kiss to begin a series of small kisses before centering in on his lips again, "because I want you to unwind."

"Honestly," Scott's lips parted revealing the warmth inside of him when he reached up from his positioning on the bed to bring his arm around Logan's shoulders, "the only time I feel like I can do that lately is with you."

"Who knew right?" Logan teased bringing his arm around Scott's waist once again to coax Scott into his arms. He felt Scott reposition himself on the bed, settling in over Logan's chest as Logan held him. He curled his muscular arm around Scott, squeezing him in closer as Scott lay his head down on Logan, simply surrounding himself with the warmth of Logan's muscled contours as they lay together.

"What are we doing Logan?" Scott questioned lazily dragging his fingers over the thick, dark hair on Logan's chest when Scott lay over him.

"Does it matter?" Logan questioned curling his bicep around Scott more completely, "Do we have to label it?"

"I suppose not," Scott sighed, his breath carrying over Logan's chest to fill the void that had surrounded Logan's days for longer than he could remember, "It's just that…"

"It's good, yes?" Logan questioned raising his head up and pressing a kiss over the top of Scott's head.

"Very good," Scott agreed with the beginnings of a smile carrying over his lips, "so much so that I'm not sure how it turned out to be the way it is."

"I guess somewhere along the line I figured it was easier to sleep with you instead of hating you," Logan teased only to feel Scott jab him in the ribs.

"I'm being serious," Scott raised his head up to wrinkle his nose at Logan disapprovingly. Even without his glasses on and his eyes closed, Logan could still feel the weight of Scott's dissatisfaction upon the conclusion of Logan's words when Logan curled his arm around Scott tighter than before.

"So am I," Logan replied in a lazy drawl, "I don't know how or why it changed Slim, but I'm glad that it has."

"Me too," Scott finally decided lowering his head to Logan's chest once again. Instead of questioning it or arguing the matter, Scott simply resigned himself to that special place he'd discovered on Logan's chest not that long ago that seemed to made for him alone. Resting his head in over the warmth of Logan's body, Scott returned to silence simply immersing himself in the quiet time away from the rest of the world with Logan's arms around him.

"Sleep," Logan coaxed Scott on further. He ran his fingers up and down over Scott's spine keeping Scott close to him until he heard the labored sound of Scott's breath fall from his lips. Scott's hand was squeezed in a loose grip over Logan's hip, his leg curled in between Logan's thighs cuddling in a way that Logan was certain that Scott wouldn't dare speak of around the others. In spite of the pain that Scott had been feeling, it seemed to have pass long enough to allow him the luxury of the sleep Logan knew full well that Scott wasn't experiencing. Now, in the center of Logan's bed with Scott's slender form curled in over his, Logan found himself thinking about the questions that Scott had asked him time and time again about what was happening between them. Yes, initially Logan had written their time together off as a prelude to great sex, but over the last couple of weeks something more was happening…something that Logan hadn't realized he'd wanted or needed in his life until Scott Summers found his way inside to a place Logan was certain would be shut down forever. However, with Scott in his arms finally returning to the peace that had evaded him since Jean's passing, Logan found himself wanting to find ways to put Scott at ease, to alleviate the pain that surrounded him no matter what the cost.

"Logan…" Scott murmured in his state of exhaustion, overtaken by the dream that now surrounded him when Logan smoothed his fingers over Scott's spine, "love you…"

"Love you too Slim," Logan whispered knowing only too well that while they'd never say it in the waking hours that their time together had meant something to the both of them. Pressing another kiss over the top of Scott's head before settling in over his pillow with his eyes closed as well now that he was surrounded by the knowledge that having Scott Summers in his life was by far the best surprise he'd ever been dealt by fate. The more time he spent with Scott, the less inclined Logan felt to leave as he found himself wanting more than anything to find a way to make Scott happy and at peace with himself, "Sleep well Slim."


End file.
